The Eastern Passage community is growing with the addition of eight new apartments on Caldwell Road, according to Minister of Housing John White.
As part of the government’s five-year housing plan, Our Homes, Action for Housing, he says the apartments are intended to be affordable, with tenants paying no more than 30 per cent of their income on rent before taxes.
White says the government is building more homes, faster, in existing residential neighbourhoods on provincially owned land, and that the apartments will be located close to amenities such as schools, daycares, transit, and shopping with opportunities for employment.
PHOTO: BUILD NS
In a news release, the province says 69 per cent of current public housing tenants are seniors, 25 per cent are families, and six per cent are couples or individuals younger than 58.
The Housing Agency will decide how to distribute the new units based on the current waitlist, with these units set to house about 25 people.
Penny Conway, who currently lives in public housing, says she is “happy more people will have peace of mind knowing they will have a safe, comfortable place to live, great neighbors, and rent they can afford.”
According to the province, each apartment has a patio or balcony, a private entrance, energy efficient appliances, and heat pumps. At least two apartments will be fully accessible, and others can be modified as needed.
Local architecture firm, Zzap, is now finalizing preliminary designs, with construction expected to begin next year.
In line with the overall plan, the government says they’ve committed $251 million to build 515 new public housing units for more than 1,300 people across the province. Of those, 315 are now underway or complete.
